Bobs Farm and Williamtown sandmine proposals irresponsible

Bobs Farm and Williamtown sandmine proposals irresponsible The Greens NSW mining spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham today labelled two sandmining proposals at Bobs Farm and Williamtown irresponsible and called on the NSW Government to listen to the concerns of the local communities who are angry and do not want these mines to go ahead.

“I have met with residents of Bobs Farm and Williamtown and it is clear that neither community wants to have a massive sandmine, with the accompanying trucks and air and noise pollution forced upon them. Both these mines are clearly irresponsible and should not go ahead,” said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

“The Greens support the right of local communities to have a much greater say on how and where mining occurs in their region. “We have developed a Responsible Mining Framework which gives local councils the ability, through their Local Environment Plan, to decide where mining can and cannot occur”

On the Bobs Farm sandmine Jeremy Buckingham said:

“it is completely inappropriate to have a massive sand mine right next to a primary school in the middle of a vibrant community in an area that’s a tourism gateway for the lower Hunter region’’

On the Williamtown mine he said:

“This mine has the potential to seriously damage the Tomago Sandbeds, the fragile water supply for the Hunter region, as well as cause significant air and noise pollution for the local residents. “I am also seriously concerned about the process for the award of the tender for this mine, and will be pursuing this as soon as parliament resumes after the election.”

Rochelle Flood, Greens candidate for Port Stephens said: “It’s time that Port Stephens stopped being treated as one huge sandmine”“Existing sandmines, already result in unacceptable risks from heavy truck movements on the narrow single carriageway stretch of Nelson Bay Road, and recent approvals will further increase these risks”

“The two new mines now proposed at Bobs Farm and Williamtown are the last straw – they are incompatible with protection of the local environment, water table and koala habitat, and will bring unacceptable health risks as well as further traffic danger.”

“It is time to say “No more sandmining in Port Stephens”.

“The Greens recognise that there is a role for mining, but we believe that local communities should be given much more control over where and how this occurs in their region,” Ms Flood said.